Of all the tactical weapons in chess, none is as sneaky or devastating as the discovered attack. It is the ultimate surprise weapon, allowing you to create massive, unavoidable threats out of nowhere.

A discovered attack occurs when you move one of your pieces out of the way, clearing a path for a long-range teammate piece (a bishop, rook, or queen) to attack a target.

Because you are essentially attacking with two pieces at the same time, your opponent will often find it impossible to defend against both threats.

How a Discovered Attack Works

Imagine a battery: a White rook on e1 is blocked by a White knight on e4. Directly in the rook's line of sight on the e8-square sits the Black queen.

Currently, the queen is safe because the knight is blocking the rook. However, if the knight moves, the rook's attack on the queen is instantly "discovered."

To make this tactic work, the knight (the moving piece) should make a threat of its own—like attacking a Black rook on c5.

Now, Black faces two simultaneous threats:

  1. The White rook is attacking the queen on e8.
  2. The White knight is attacking the rook on c5.

Since Black can only make one move, they will likely save their queen, leaving their rook to be captured by the knight.

The Discovered Check

A discovered check is a specific type of discovered attack where the piece behind is attacking the enemy king.

This is incredibly powerful because the opponent is legally forced to address the check. This gives the moving piece complete freedom to capture any undefended piece on the board, no matter how well it was guarded, because the opponent cannot capture it back.

For example, if the moving piece jumps to a square and attacks a queen, the opponent cannot save the queen or capture your piece—they must move their king out of check first. On the next move, you capture their queen for free.

The Ultimate Weapon: Double Check

The most destructive variation of this tactic is the double check. This happens when the moving piece also attacks the enemy king, resulting in two separate pieces checking the king at the same time.

Double checks are unique because they cannot be blocked, and the checking pieces cannot be captured. Why? Because you cannot block two lines of check at once, nor can you capture two pieces in a single move.

The only legal response to a double check is to move the king.

This often forces the king into a corner, making it highly vulnerable to a quick checkmate.

How to Set Up Discovered Attacks

  • Create Batteries: Align your long-range pieces (queen, rook, bishop) behind your own knights, pawns, or other minor pieces, pointing toward your opponent's valuable pieces.
  • Look for Alignment: Always pay attention when your opponent's king or queen is on the same file or diagonal as one of your long-range pieces, even if there are multiple pieces in between.
  • Calculate Forcing Moves: Look for jumps where your blocking piece can deliver a check or capture a pawn, ensuring the discovery is as forcing as possible.

Practice the Surprise Attack

Discovered attacks require foresight and spatial awareness. The best way to master them is to see them in action.

Challenge the computer on LocalChess, set up your bishops and rooks behind your knights, and watch for the perfect moment to spring a discovered attack on your opponent!